Skyside
Skyside took Riverside's place as the Hive of Scum and Villainy when Riverside moved away from its roots. It continues the running gag of ending locations with -side. "Brief" Description Also known as the 'Free City of Skyside', the 'Trade City of Skyside', the 'City of Vice', the 'City of Progress', and 'That Wretched Hive of Scum and Villainy', Skyside is a floating city in the clouds, held aloft by a massive floating Skyship that once held the castle of Lethargia. Skyside has blossomed since those early days, blooming into a tiny, futuristic metropolis filled with commerce and trade. What makes Skyside different from other Nexus cities, such as Inside or Riverside? Skyside is a city without law or official government. The closest thing Skyside has to a governing body is a group of five partners/investors, who manage Skyside's essential systems and security, and represent Skyside as a whole in any negotiations with foreign parties or governments. In absence of laws, Skyside has become a haven for fledgling mad scientists and artist-entrepreneurs of all sorts, who come to Skyside for the cheap rent and the freedom to experiment on whatever they want, without that whole pesky 'government' thing getting in the way. Merchants too, are attracted by the lack of taxes, tariffs or other restrictions, and thus Skyside's marketplace is filled with a colorful array of stores and bazaars selling exotic goods not found in Inside or Riverside. However, the lack of laws brings a darker side to the city, of course. The trade district of the city is filled with the slave bazaars, drug houses and brothels that would be banned in any other city. Some of them are actually rather fancy and high class affairs: able to operate in the open, without fear, they present healthy, well-fed and well-treated slaves, or higher quality chemicals, but many are not. And of course, slavery is still slavery, no matter how well-dressed it is. While the presence of an internal security force generally stops widespread fighting in the streets before it gets too out of hand, violence on a smaller scale is still common, and people who cannot protect themselves (or hire others to protect them) are often beaten, killed or kidnapped to be used in experiments or sold into slavery for those with lower standards. In general, visitors and residents of Skyside learn to stay on their toes pretty quickly. Even the safest and most affluent areas of Skyside are vulnerable to some amateur mad scientist's latest giant robot or genetic abomination running loose and causing havoc, or a temporal anomaly rolling through and causing a street full of people to suddenly age several weeks in the space of a few seconds. The city can be chaotic, and often times dangerous, but there is potential for great wealth here, if someone has a talent for spotting opportunity and grabbing it. Whether with their own hands or the remotely controlled mecha hands that they designed in their attic is highly dependent on the person, of course. Locations The Cloudtops: The wealthiest and most glamorous section. High level of private security, as the internal security force is out in full force. Tall skyscrapers of glass and steel, bright lights, and expensive products. The Raindrop District: Where most of Skyside lives. Apartment blocks and housing developments, corner stores, groceries, fast food, and everything else. Relatively safe by day but dangerous by night. Inhabitants keep good locks and a trusty firearm close at hand, and some rely on mercenary and security firm protections for added security. Tempest Row: Either a "vibrant, colorful area full of exotic wares and noisy taverns" or a "raging, screaming drunk who will drag you into the back alley, beat you over the head with a stick, and run with your valuables." Home to taverns, bars, clubs, brothels, and the main airship docks. There are large numbers of shop guards, and is relatively safe from violence. However, there are still pickpockets, scam-artists, cutpurses, and street gangs. Thunderhead: The main industrial area of Skyside, filled with factories, smelteries, warehourses, and so on. It's the most dangerous of the districts of Skyside, full of abandoned warehouses, vicious gangs, and supervillains. Most good factories have guards to protect/guard their employees, but the streets are much more dangerous. Groundtown: Exists in the shadows of Skyside. It's under and around Skyside, full of improvised buildings and so on. The poorest and most unfortunate workers live there, having to commute every morning and evening to the city. Fighting on the streets between warring gangs is a common sight. Most security is afforded by the gangs who control their own territory and by superheroes who run amok.